vulpine

American  

[vuhl-pahyn, -pin] / ˈvʌl paɪn, -pɪn /

adjective

1. of or resembling a fox.

2. cunning or crafty.

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vulpine British  

/ ˈvʌlpaɪn /

adjective

1. Also: vulpecular.  of, relating to, or resembling a fox

2. possessing the characteristics often attributed to foxes; crafty, clever, etc

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Etymology

Origin of vulpine

First recorded in 1620–30; from Latin vulpīnus, equivalent to vulp(ēs) “fox” + -īnus adjective suffix; see origin at -ine ¹; from the same root as Greek alṓpēx and alōpós “fox”

Explanation

You may encounter a vulpine smile, a vulpine movie director, or a vulpine laugh — whatever it is, be on guard. The word vulpine describes something that is crafty like a fox. The word vulpine traces back to the word vulpes, the Latin word for “fox,” and the word can be used literally to describe something directly related to a fox. Nowadays, however, you’re more likely to hear it used to describe something that has the characteristics of a fox. Many cultures associate the fox with cunning and shrewdness, and the word vulpine has come to be used to describe something that has a crafty, intelligent, slightly predatory quality.

Example Sentences

And now, for the first time, a specimen has been successfully GPS-collared and released back into the region — marking a major victory for conservation efforts to protect the elusive vulpine.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 10, 2026

Sharon Moores of Woodbridge shared a photo of some different vulpine behavior.

From Washington Post • Feb. 14, 2022

A slim, pale, vulpine man in his mid-thirties, with well-tended light-brown hair and a goatee, came onstage, dressed in a trim black suit and a black shirt.

From The New Yorker • Sep. 30, 2019

It cuts to black just as its protagonist is in a room alone with her sister, who’s been revealed as a vulpine predator.

From Slate • Aug. 28, 2018

She is younger than I am, tall, slim, dark-haired, pretty in a sharp-featured, vulpine sort of way.

From "The Girl on the Train" by Paula Hawkins